Improvement in mail-bags



R. W. (aATTRELL.

vMail-Bags.

Patented Feb. 24. 18M.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUFS W. GATTRELL, OF BROOKVILLE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN MAIL-BAGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,763, dated February 24, 1874; application filed January 21, 1874.

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, RUFUs W. GATTRELL,

of Brookville, Montgomery county, Maryland,

have invented an Improvement in Mail-Bags 5 and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the back of my improved mail-bag open. Fig. 2 is a front view of the top or mouth of the bag when closed and locked. Fig. 3 is a back view of the same. Fig. 4. is a vertical section of the same on an enlarged scale, showing the positions which the iaps occupy when the bag is closed.

My invention consists in forming the upper part or mouth of a mailbag with two flaps, provided with oblong eyelets, which, when the ilaps are folded to close the bag, coincide with similar eyelets in the mouth of the bag, and, together with them, receive a flat bolt onhasp, which passes through all the eyelets, and is locked, when in that position, by means of an ordinary mail-lock, all as hereinafter lnore fully set forth.

In the drawings, A marks the mouth of the bag; B, along flap attached to the rear of the bag, below the mouth. C is the body of the bag. D is the front ilap, provided with the cars E E, the rear ends of which are brought around and riveted to the back of the mouth, near its ends, asshown. F F F Ff" F4 are oblong metallic eyelets, let into the mouth and flaps of the bag, and so located that, when the iaps are folded to close the bag, the eyelets shall exact-ly coincide with and be superimposed upon each other, as shown in Fig. 4, so as to afford a passage for the hasp or flat bolt G to pass through them. The flat bolt G has a large head or shield, H, on one end, and at the other a slot to receive the tongue of an ordinary mail-padlock, K. The bolt G is permanently attached to the bag by means of a chain,

L, one end of which :is fastened to the bolt by the eye in its head, and the other end to the eye-plate M, attached to the flap of 'the bag, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: To close the bag, fold the flap D over the mouth of the bag till the eyelet F coincides with the eyelet F. Then fold the ap B over ap D till the eyelet F coincides with the eyelets F and F', and the eyelet-plate F coincides with eyelet F4 in the front of the mouth of the bag. The flaps are now completely folded over one another, and the mouth of the bag perfectly inclosed, its ends being covered by the ears E E. The bolt G is now inserted in the eyelets from rear to front, its head resting against eyelet F", and the slot in its end receives t ietongue of the padlock K, which is locked init, and completes the fastening of the bag. The parts then occupy the positions shown in Fig. 4, and the bag is perfectly and securely closed.

The operation can be performed in a much shorter time than the ordinary mail-bags can be closed and locked, and the mouth is much more securely tas-tened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination, with the mouth of a mail-bag, of the ilaps B and D, said mouth and flaps being provided with eyelets for the reception of a bolt, which is locked in place by a padlock, in the manner and for the`purpose described.

2. The combination, with the mouth of a mail-bag, of the flaps B and D, folded as and for the purpose described.

The above specification of my said invention signed and witnessed,at Washington, this 13th day of January, A. D. 1874.

R. W. GATTRELL.

Witnesses z W. I?. BELL, CEAS. F. STANSBUEY. 

